A teddy bear and a bear bottle
by InsaneKids159
Summary: Dallas' sister, Indiana (my OC), goes to visit his grave years later that fateful night. What does she have to say to her dead brother? Find out. Yeah I know summary sucks, but this is a 'written before I got so sleepy I couldn't keep my eyes open' storys. Give it a chance? Really sad.


**I don't own the Outsiders, but I do own Indiana Winston.**

**A/N: I don't even know why I wrote this, its god damn depressing. Indiana is my OC, and yeah...really I almost cried when I wrote this. I really don't know why I wrote it.**

It was never easy, nothing ever was. But I had to do this, I just had to. I walked through piles upon piles of dead and soaked leaves to a single grave stone that was almost hidden in the shadow of a great oak tree. I dusted off the leaves that had fallen on the stone, _Dallas Marvo Winston, 1948-1964. Died a hood, a greaser, a brother and died gallant _it read

I choked back a sob as I kneeled down on the soft, black dirt around the stone. Even though it was written in so short words it meant so much. I set a beer bottle to the right of the stone and a worn, tattered, teddy bear with button eye falling out on the left. "Happy 21st Dal," I said quietly, my voice seemed to be taken away by the light breeze that floated around the graveyard. "Darry made you a cake, I..." my voice broke and tears started to drip down my face.

"Soda's getting drafted in the war," I said after another heart wrenching silence "We're beggin' him not to go but, oh you know Soda. Can be as sweet as candy but stubborn as a mule." Another silence. "I think he wants to go, after he lost Sandy, he was different. Don't he's ever been out of Tulsa before." I ran my fingers over the words engraved in the polished stone. "You remember Randy? The Soc, well I don't know if you knew him. Friend of Bob's. He and his folks took me in, well...that was after a year of jumping from girls home to girls home."

More sobs raked my body, "They ain't so bad you know?" I said, "I mean, they're rich yeah sometimes block headed. But they let me be me, let me wear my leather jackets and jeans. I told 'im straight up 'I'm a greaser, born and raised. But I ain't no hood,' well, that was a lie." I chuckled dryly "Randy's a good guy, nice guy. But he can't be my brother, that's you Dal. That will always be you."

I wet my lips, "I think I might marry Pony, once we get out of school and both of us have got jobs and, well he's got to ask ya know? He's pretty beat up about Soda ya know? Afraid he won't be coming back and that he's gonna be all alone out there on the battle field, that's why I have to be there for him." I set one hand on the stone, a memory passing in front of my eyes

_"Ya hold it like this, no! Not like that," Dallas reached over and set the switch blade in my hand correctly "Like this, if you're going to live on the streets kid, ya gotta learn how to protect yourself. I won't be here for you to save you." I gripped the gray handle of the blade that was shinning in the cold, crisp moonlight. "Hey Dal," I said studying the switch, "What do you want now?" he complained._

_"Are we hoods?" I asked. A woman on the street earlier had come out of the largest skyscraper I had ever seen. When she saw me, I asked her for directions to a store and she told 'Get away from me you filthy hood!' and ran off. Dallas scoffed and smirked "Born and raised kid, born and raised"_

That was so long ago, years ago, life times ago. We were in New York, just two kids trying to make their way on the streets. Then we came back to Tulsa, oh how I missed this place. I remember the look on the gangs faces as we walked into the house. The smile on Johnny's face always brightened up my day, loved that guy like a kid brother. Oh no, not this memory.

_"Please," I sobbed grabbing onto his blood drenched shirt "Don't go." Dallas reached up a shaking, pale hand up to my face and brushed my sunlight blonde hair away from my eyes "I'm proud of you kid, I don't think I've ever told you before."_

_I grabbed his hand, "I care about you, no matter what you think kid. I'll always care 'bout you." He was now white as a sheet, and his shirt was blood-red. His icy blue eyes that were the same as my own locked on to me and said three words. Three words I'd never thought my brother could say and mean at the same time "I love you." and just like that, Dallas Winston died._

_"No," I said taking his face into my hands "No, no come on Dal, come on. I love you too Dally, please don't go." His face was blank and eyes gently shut closed. "You idiots!" I shout at the fuzz jumping up "He was only a kid, just a kid with a kid sister." I fell down next to him, "Come one Dallas, Big brothers are supposed to be there for me. You said it yourself, come on! Just...just don't die"_

I covered my face in my hands, and cried quietly. Not wanting to lose the memory of my brother, even if it was a bad one. I wanted to keep his memory alive, I wouldn't forget. I could never forget. Not even if I tried. But I suppose I can heal, over years. And maybe...maybe one day I can think about him and it won't hurt.

I stood up, brushed off my jeans and walked away from the giant oak tree, walked away from the worn, tattered teddy bear with one button eye falling out, walked away from the bear bottle, and ever though I couldn't see it walked away from my brother who was smiling at me and whispered _'I'm so proud of you kid, so proud' _


End file.
